The Pittsburgh Pirates released an updated roster on Thursday featuring a new jersey number for infielder Nick Gonzales, who changed his number from 39 to 3.
Gonzales did so in honor of Dave Parker, who previously wore No. 39 for the Pirates from 1973 to 1983, was posthumously inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame last summer after passing away in June due to complications from Parkinson’s disease.
Pittsburgh has surprisingly not retired Parker’s number yet, but Gonzales’ switch opens the door for the franchise to do so soon, perhaps in 2026. That would be a fitting honor for Parker, who won the 1978 NL MVP with the Pirates and helped them win the World Series the following year.
Several other players have worn No. 39 for Pittsburgh since Parker left the team, including Jason Grilli, Chad Kuhl and John Grabow. However, Gonzales told MLB.com’s Alex Stumpf last summer that he wanted to change his number in honor of Parker.
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“If you’re in the Hall of Fame, I shouldn’t be wearing your number,” Gonzales told Stumpf. “… What a ballplayer, and what he means to the Pittsburgh community is pretty cool. He did a lot of cool things when he was here. I wear his number and have a lot of pride, a lot of honor to get to do that.”
With Gonzales no longer wearing Parker’s number, time will tell if the Pirates decide to retire it in the near future.
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Featured image via Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images